1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to an in-line skate, and more particularly, to a braking device for an in-line skate, such brake as will closely simulate the sideways braking action of a hockey skate or snow ski. The brake system can be for new in-line skates or retrofitted to an existing in-line skate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In-line skating has become a popular form of exercise and sport worldwide, to the extent that there now exist indoor hockey rinks built solely for the use of roller hockey. In-line skaters, especially those playing roller hockey, often resort to the same type of braking action used by ice skaters, commonly referred to as a "hockey stop." This is not always effective because the skaters are not always able to stop their motion, or, at best, are able to stop their motion only within the wide arc created by the lead skate in said braking motion. In fact, almost all of the braking occurs, not by turning the skate, but by dragging the rear skate along the ground. One problem is that currently available in-line skates are ill-equipped for turning, the wheels being fixed in a straight-line orientation.
At present, the most widely used braking mechanism available for in-line skates is one which is secured to the rear portion of the boot and which comprises a flat fixed brake pad intended to abrade the skating surface. The skater applies the brake by extending the skate slightly forward and lifting the front wheels off the ground, thereby applying the rear brake pad to the skating surface and frictionally stopping the forward motion of the skater. This mechanism is undesirable in that it requires the user to thrust his foot forward of his body, thus putting him in an awkward and out-of-balance position. Said motion becomes even more difficult on uneven or pitched terrain. U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,058 typifies this type of brake on currently available in-line skates, and similar mechanisms can be found described in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 5,067,736; 5,183,275; 5,192,088; and 5,197,572.
Two other patents circumvent this foot-tilting problem through the use of a mechanically-operated rear pad (U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,409) and a hand-held lever-and-cable caliper system (U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,941). In both cases, the skater squeezes hand levers connected to cables running out his arms and down his sides and legs to the skate. In the former case, the cable connects to a rocker arm which pivots a rear brake pad to the ground. In the latter case, the cable connects to caliper-type brake pads, mounted to the sides of the wheel(s). By squeezing the hand lever, the user forces the brake pads into the sides of the wheel(s), thus forcing the skate to stop. These two systems are ineffective because they are both cumbersome and dangerous, dangerous because the skater's hands are never free of the levers in case he needs them to break a fall or regain his balance by grabbing onto something.
A brake system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,438 calls for a toe-mounted brake. In use, the skater extends his foot rearwardly to position a rotatable cylinder, mounted on the toe of the boot, onto the skating surface, thereby creating enough friction between the cylinder and the ground to slow the forward motion of the skate. This system is undesirable because it places the skater in an awkward, unbalanced position, the rear skate being too difficult to control as one rolls along.